Monday, June 30, 2008

First, I'm sure that you want to see a picture of me in the kitchen. So, here you go. This is where the dishwashing occurs! Have to keep up on the dirty dishes so that you can dirty them again!

This is Darci, my assistant. This was her least favorite job of the week - chopping 18 pounds of chicken into bite size pieces. So the next time it was on the list, she found some help!

As stated in an earlier post, everything went well. The week wasn't very stressfull, just lots of work. However, it wasn't exhausting either because we weren't stressed! Don't get me wrong, both of us are having a hard time motivating this week and I did take a 2 hour nap yesterday, it was tiring, but we weren't so exhausted that we couldn't enjoy it. We did! I think there were only 2 meals that weren't ready on time (one was leftover day and we were busy cleaning the oven and didn't get them in on time and the other was roast beef night when we had lots to get carved!). The day started at 5:30 for me and 6:00 for Darci. Most days we ended around 9:00. However, we did take several breaks (after each meal so that the dishes could get done and in the evening we always listened to the lesson). We cooked for 80 people but 35 of those were under 14, so our recipe size was for 75. So, in the end, it was a good week and we are signed up to do it again next year!

For those of you who have never been to camp, this is the serving line.

Halee is carrying her tray to wherever she sits.

Do you want to know what the kids did all day? After breakfast, at 9:30, was Bible class. I can't remember the title of the week, but it had to do with God's wisdom. All the kids met together at the camp fire for the lesson and an experiment. Brian taught the lesson and did the experiement. Then for the 2nd session, they broke the kids up into 3 groups and did some activities to follow the lesson.

Afternoons are free time. We had the girls lay down and rest/nap for a while. When they weren't in class or resting, they were on the playground. Halee loves to swing and that's about all she did. She has pretty much learned how to pump and get herself going now. BUT anytime there was someone willing to give her a push ... she capitalized on it.

Hannah spent her time doing lots of playing with her friends. There is a playhouse on the playground that they "moved" into. Then the other kids were wrecking it, so they moved up the hill to this place that has some rock walls and made that their house. They swang, dug and did who knows what else! Here she is with Sterling and Sydney.

One afternoon, everyone (except the cooks) went to Pine Creek for a hike. Here are some pictures a friend took of them.

This is just a few of the kids that went. From left to right are Caleb and Ali (they are from Indiana), Hannah and Halee, and Riley and Kailen (Darci's kids).

Thursday is free day. We decided to go to Chico and hang out in the hot springs. A nice relaxing soak after all the long days in the kitchen. As we were walking to the car, this fawn came up to Ed and sniffed his hand! He was inches away!

Then we headed to Chico. Several other families joined us. This is Kailen and Sydney (from Utah) with Hannah.

As always, it was a great week! Just a great place to go and be away from the world in the beautiful mountains that God created with God's people!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

I just wanted to let everyone know we are home from camp. It was a great week. The cooking went well and I'm signed up to do it again next year. I have some pictures and such about the week that I will post, but right now I am going to bed! Gotta catch up from last week!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Sorry no pictures again. I was going to get some taken this week and just never got around to it! I got a lot accomplished and had a pretty quiet week around the house. It was so nice and relaxing compared to my "normal" weeks! I finished staining the ceiling of the porch, made Hannah a pair of jammies (wanted to make 2, but my machine was not cooperating on the second pair and I gave up for now!), and gave the house a good cleaning. I was able to go to a friend's house and help her unpack one afternoon and then was able to watch her kids one morning so she could get some shopping done. We all slept in late and just were plain lazy some days. Oh, how nice.

Next week, on the other hand, won't be that way at all. We are leaving for Bible camp in the morning. This is the camp that I am the head cook for. I'm pretty nervous tonight, but know that once I get up there and get going, things will settle down. I'll let you know how things go when I get back.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted. I'll just give you a brief sinopsis of what we've been up to. No pictures. I haven't had a chance to take any!

Since the last time I wrote, we went to Great Falls for a Young Families Retreat for christians. It was a good time. The lessons were for parents to learn how to raise better teenagers. The kids participated in a VBS - Sonic City. We took our camper and stayed in an RV park. Basically all we do is sleep in it, but it is nice to have our "own" space!

On Tuesday morning Ed left for Denver for the rest of the week. He had some "training" to do and meet people in the company locations down there. There was also a retirement party for the president of the company.

Wednesday started VBS for us here. Well, actually it started on Sunday evening when we got home from Great Falls! A lot of preparation before it actually starts. Wednesday is when the kids came. The theme was Power Lab - Discovering the Miracles of Jesus. It was a huge success. We had approximately 70 kids and at least half of them were community kids (not friends of our kids - just kids who came)! We even had one family attend services yesterday.

Saturday we stayed at home (mostly - Ed made a few trips to Home Depot and I had to take Halee to the dr - read on) and got things done around the house. Ed finished building the gates for our fence. Now it is completely closed in. All that's left is putting a "decorative" cap on the top and staining it. He also dug up some grass by the driveway that we drive on when we pull the camper out and put rocks down. Then in the backyard (where he took the rocks from) he added some sprinklers and put some grass down. He also put sprinklers in the garden. Hannah played outside all day! She loves to be outside but likes someone around. So that worked out great. Halee played outside too (except the dr appt and nap). Halee woke up with lots of red spots all over her. I had no idea what they were so I just took her into the doctor. Hives. Who knows what caused them . . . but one dose of Zyrtec and they're gone. I gave the kitchen a good cleaning (2 hours worth) and stained the ceiling of the front porch (that never got done last summer). I also got my grocery order for camp complete (which I'm nervous about - if I missed something or didn't order enough of something, there's no grocery store to make a quick run too!). It was a productive weekend.

This week we don't have much going on. It is the first week in a long time! I have one appt on Tuesday morning. So, I'm going to finish givin my house a deep cleaning and finish the porch ceiling. We are also going to just relax! Saturday we leave for a week at camp, in which I'm the head cook. So it will be a busy, tiring, but fun week. So we need this week to gear up!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

This past weekend we ventured to Billings. Ed's aunt from Jackson was there and his brother and daughter were there too. So, it was a fun family get together!

Almost immediately after we drive up, the neighbor kids come over to play. I guess they can't wait for someone new to play with and a new place to play (as they have to stay in Gramma's yard!)

Halee desperatetly needed a nap. Aunt Lynne said she would lay down with Halee. However, Halee never went to sleep (that time) because she was too excited for Chloe to come.

Chloe finally arrived. We all brought the kids bikes. They were anxious to ride together. We were all impressed with Chloe's riding ability - no training wheels and she just turned 4 in April!

Another fun thing to do is swing in Gramma and Poppa's back yard!

Chloe wanted to pick some flowers.

Gramma told them all to bring their swimming suits. I wasn't told that so I didn't bring mine. Gramma's plan was to go swimming at the big pool. Since no other adult was willing to go with her, this is the swimming that they got! Gramma did put some hot tap water into it so it wouldn't be SSSOOO cold, but it still wasn't hot either!

Another fun thing to do at Gramma's is dress up. She has many different dress up clothes than we had at home. Hannah put all this on!

Aunt Lynne is like another grandma to them. She had brought them all gifts to open.

Poppa had just bought this fire truck Friday morning at a garage sale. It was a hit with Halee and Chloe. Poppa fixed it up so that they could pedal it and turn.

Back at home, I bought a slip and slide for the girls yesterday. It still hasn't been warm enough to warrant going out into the cold water. They couldn't wait. Finally this evening, Ed set it up and away they went. They weren't too good at sliding yet. Later after the water was turned off, Halee would lay on it and I would push her down it. They will get it with time and warmer weather!